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Month: December 2015

I haven’t blogged in a couple of months. I will try to be better, I promise. I write for a living, so sometimes I just don’t want to write for fun. There are times where I think a certain subject would be a great blog, and never do anything about it and promptly forget what I wanted to write about. Story of my life.

Last night my oldest son and I made treats to take to his last day of preschool before the Christmas break. They were “reindeer pops” or simply reindeer cut out of card stock, noses cut out and covered with red tissue paper and a sucker taped to the back. I had emailed his teacher earlier in the day to get a headcount and hadn’t heard back so I gave it my best estimate. We had a great time and he was excited to share them with his school friends.

Before bed I checked my email one last time. There was her reply. Seventeen kids, but we can’t have candy in the classroom. Instantly I wanted to cry. I just knew Shaun would be crushed. Hell, I was. This morning when I woke him up, the first thing out of his mouth? “Mom when we hand out the suckers…” I had to break his little heart and tell him we wouldn’t be taking them. The school doesn’t allow special treats.

After speaking with the teacher this morning I was even more disheartened. I double checked the student handbook and found, “Birthdays and Special Occasions – Due to Head Start and federal health standards, we do not allow outside food to be brought to the classroom. Parents are welcomed to join the classroom on special occasions, but we do not encourage “treats” (food or nonfood items) at school. If nonfood (age appropriate) items are brought to school to share with the class, those items will be sent home with the students, but not passed out during the school day.”

The more I have thought about it, the more upset I become. I truly understand their reasoning behind the rules. I get kids have allergies and sometimes things just can’t be done, but there has to be a point where people have to stop and say, when is enough enough. I know I’m at that point. These were suckers. I could understand the reasoning of no candy if I had intended to hand out king-sized chocolate bars. But I wasn’t. They were suckers. A little treat for a kid to enjoy on the bus ride home or in the car headed home.

I’m not terribly old, but I remember in grade school parents bringing homemade cookies and cupcakes to celebrate their child’s birthday. I remember our “gingerbread” houses made out of graham crackers and frosting. Would that fly today? Probably not. Neither would our Kansas Day activities of making cinnamon rolls on the desks pushed together. We all survived the homemade treats. No one got sick or died.

I’m over all the rules because some parent got their panties in a wad over something another parent had done or made. Isn’t sharing what the holiday is all about? Giving to those around you? What are we teaching our kids when we can’t even allow them to give a treat to their fellow classmates? And besides, who wants another eraser, pencil or notepad? I know a sucker can surely sweeten my day and perhaps my attitude! Maybe I should have one of those “reindeer pops” to improve my attitude today. I will save the rest for Shaun to GIVE to his daycare friends tomorrow and cousins at Christmas time.

Shaun’s reindeer pops intended to share with his preschool classmates.